Theme parks such as Universal Studios and Disney World provide immersive environments for their guest's enjoyment. Overtime, parks such as these have incorporated major movie themes into their settings and rides. Examples include the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios and a new Star Wars Land currently being built at Disney World. As theme park rides and environments become more sophisticated, new ways for engaging the park visitor when they are not on a ride are also becoming increasingly valuable.
One example of a new type of theme integrated, non-ride visitor engagement is the SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING A PASSIVE WAND AND ACTUATING AN EFFECT BASED ON A DETECTED WAND PATH described by Kawash, et al. in pending application US 2014/0240102 A1. The teachings of this system have been implemented at Universal Studios where guests may purchase a Harry Potter Wand constructed in accordance with the pending application comprising an infrared (IR) retroreflective tip, which may then be used in front of various playing areas such as a store-front within the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. These playing areas include hidden IR LEDs for emitting IR tracking energy that is retroreflected off the tip of the wand, where the retroreflected energy is then detected by a camera filtered to receive the IR energy, after which the images are processed in order to track the wand tip in two degrees of freedom (2 DOF,) e.g. X and Y. As the wand tip transverses through various positions its path is then compared to a pre-known set of paths, where each path defines a unique “spell.” If a guest correctly moves their wand's tip, mimicking a spell path or gesture, then the system outputs a control signal to actuate an effect, e.g. causing a fake flower to move.
The present invention is capable of working with the Kawash, et al. teachings and also provides a first preferred alteration that allows the Harry Potter wand to be tracked using visible light in 6 DOF, and a second preferred alteration to allows for a new type of wand that is remote-active and provides at least 3 IR LEDs embedded within the wand for emitting non-visible IR tracking signals (thus the wand is active) while then being powered/recharged by remote wireless power (thus the wand is remote-active.) Regardless of the type of wand implemented, the present system then further addresses the lack of feedback to the park guest regarding their spell path trajectories using the current Kawash, et. al teachings. Some of the spells are not easy and young children especially can find it difficult to comprehend the path their wand tip is tracing as they stand in front of a Universal play area. Their only feedback is to not see the hoped-for effect. To compensate for this, Universal Studios dedicates a park agent to stand and provide assistance and training. Also, the Kawash system does not include or anticipate the use of facial recognition as a means of identifying individual park guests, matching them through a database to their specific wand nor is there any means within the Kawash wand for providing a unique wand ID.
The present inventor envisions solutions to these problems that also then extend into new opportunities to enhance the guest experience that both coordinate with the Harry Potter Wand and extend beyond the Harry Potter Wand into new uses. It is also important to note that while a Harry Potter Wand is used as an exemplification of a guest-controlled article for indicating gestures and commands through an interactive user interface, this should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. As is mentioned herein, and will be evident from a careful reading of the present teachings, other objects may be used by guests to indicate gestures, especially those of similar elongated shapes such as a Disney Light Saber, or a Wizard's Staff, swords, rifles, etc. As will be discussed further in the conclusion and ramifications to the present invention, the present inventor also anticipates a theme character mask and gloves as devices like a wand for interfacing with the present invention.
The major opportunity for extending and increasing the guest experience as taught herein, is the creation of a new “magic mirror” to provide a visible user interface going beyond the hidden emitter and sensing device necessary for interacting with a guest by tracking Wand movements as described by Kawash et al. Such a magic mirror as presently envisioned would have several key goals including: 1) providing visual feedback to the guest for practicing and leaning article movements, 2) extending the use and enjoyment of the article tracking concepts, where the article for example is Universal Studio's Harry Potter Wand, beyond the destination such as a theme park into other destinations such as theme park hotels, restaurants, shops, museums, airports and even to a guest's home, 3) providing means for conveniently sensing or in some way determining guest identity, 4) providing access to theme park and hotel information systems for information exchange and transactions, 5) providing interfaces to local environment sensors and controls, where the local environment includes a hotel room or guest home, 6) providing access for interacting with a distributed community of guests for collective experiences including for example theme park-wide games, contests, treasure hunts, etc., 7) interacting with a guest wearing either passive and active glasses for receiving secret messages and communications, 8) interacting with a guest via their mobile device (such as a cell phone or tablet) loaded with a specialized theme park app causing the mobile device to act as magic mirror and otherwise contribute as a theme park-wide game interface, as well as other benefits of the present invention that will be obvious to those skilled in the art of theme parks, guest services and entertainment.
Indeed, within the Harry Potter books and movies there is also thematic support for the concept of a magic mirror, where the Mirror of Erised as was introduced in the first Harry Potter movie entitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. A particular point of interest is that the Mirror of Erised would cast both a reflection as well as an image of what the viewer desired, where multiple individuals standing in front of the Mirror or Erised at the same time would see each other's reflections as would be normal with a mirror, but simultaneously see a private visualization of their own desires. The present invention teaches apparatus and methods for accomplishing this same effect, which is anticipated to both support the Harry Potter storyline as well as provide unique possibilities for enhancing the guest experience, especially in relation to theme park-wide games.
The concept of a non-adjustable mirror-display is well known and essentially comprises a display mounted behind a fixed two-way mirror such that a person can stand in front of the mirror-display and see a combination of a partial reflection of themselves as well as information being output by the underlying display. Since the two-way mirror is fixed in this permanent state and is not therefore electronically controllable, it is not then possible to allow the mirror-display to have multiple modes of operation, e.g. including a mirror-only mode for guests not wanting the mirror-display functionality, while then also allowing the a partial-mirror-display mode for providing partial reflections of the guests and for example secret message images, or a display-only mode for providing video information without substantially guest reflections.
There are many videos available on YouTube for building such non-adjustable mirror-display systems. However, these mirror-displays are unable to track specifically crafted articles like the Harry Potter wand with its IR retroreflective tip, or the preferred alternate wands of or tracking techniques as described herein. What is minimally needed is a mirror-display combined with at least 2 DOF and preferably 6 DOF object tracking, where such a system could amongst other benefits provide a means for training the guest by showing them in real-time the path their article (e.g. wand) tip is tracing out, alternatively in comparison to a visualization of the pre-established path that they are attempting to mimic. What is also needed is apparatus for allowing two different guests to stand in from of the same mirror-display, see each other's mirror reflection but then also see different private display images. It is also preferable that the mirror function as a full mirror with a hard switch such that guests in a hotel control the mirror to remain in a mirror-only mode. Alternatively, the guest may activate the mirror-display to then be in a mirror-display mode than tracks an article such as the Harry Potter or similar wand, allowing a guest to cast spells for example changing the mirror into a partial-mirror-display for receiving secret messages while also seeing their own reflections.
There are currently several other existing technologies that are available in the marketplace for creating novel extensions to the basic mirror-display for accomplishing the goals of the present invention. The technologies include: switchable transflective mirrors, switchable polarization screens, passive and active polarization glasses, active shutter glasses, image processing and object tracking software techniques, and communications networks with secured command and information exchange. The present invention teaches how these existing technologies are uniquely combinable for achieving the goals envisioned and stated herein, such that individual guests are afforded extended and increased user experiences.